Uncoupling lever for car couplings



UNCOUPLING LEVER FOR CAR COUPLINGS.

GJLPIN.

APPLICATION FILED AUG, 10, i9l5. RENEWED AUG; 27, 1532!. 1,411,489,

mu 1 i G G. GILPIN- UNCOUFLING LEVER FOR CAH LOUPLINGS.

APPLICAUON FILED AUGv I0, 1915- RENEWED AUG. 27, 1921.

latented Apr. 4,1922.

3 $HEETSS.HEET 2.

mhiueoow e; G. GILPIN. I UNCO'UPLING LEVER FOR CAR (JOUPLINGS. APPLICATION FILED AUG, 10, 1915- RENEWED AUG. 27,1921,

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

GARTH GRIFFITH GILPIN, 0F EZVEESITDE, ILLINOIS.

UNCUUPLING LEVER Ffi'jt C113 COUPLINGS.

'ilALilChlElti).

To all who m. it only, concern Be it known that l. GARTH (inlrrrrii (iii.- rrN. a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Riverside. in the county of (look and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful lmprove ments in Uncoupling Levers for Car (ouplings, ofwhich the following is the spec-i fication.

The object of my invention is to provide between the hand lever and the lock pin lifter a. joint which is flexible to service conditions, but which at the same time we vents the pin lifter from being rotated around its axis. to such an extent at least as will make it possible for the pin litter to be dis engaged from the locking pin or the coupler. thereby, eliminating all danger of its hecoming accidentally disengaged from the coupler lock pin. 1 Further object of my invention, is to provide a flexible joint between the hand lever and pin litter of such construction that it is necessary to remove the hand lever from the car to disconnect the lifter from the lever. A further object of my invention is to provide an uncoupling rigging wherein the hand lever and pin lifter may be assembled and shipped complete to assure their proper application to the car; and with these and other objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter pointed out.

In the drawings:

l igure 1 is a top plan view of a car. broken away, with my invention applied.

Figure 2 is an end elevation ot a car showing my uncoupling lever in position.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the hand lever.

Figure 4*. is a front elevation of Figure 3. with the pin litter added.

Figure 5 is a Side elevation of the uncoupling lever and aco-upler and associated parts.

Figure (3 is a similar view of the lever With the pin lifter in a different position from that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the pin lifter.

Figure 8 is a "front elevation of the same.

Figure 9 is a detail top plan view oi another embodiment of my invention.

Figure 10 is a front elevation and Figure 11 is a. side elevation of Figure 9.

Specification of Letters Patent.

litter which engages lever Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 496,126.

4 Figure l). is a detail top plan view of another en'ibodinient of my invention.

Figure 13 is a front elevation and Figure 1-Ll is a side elevation of Figure 12.

The reference numeral ldesignatcs a car, 2 the end sill. 3 the dead wood or bumper and. t a coupler of approved construction.

Brackets 5 and 6 are secured to the end sill in which is journalled the hand operated lower 7. The construction of these brackets is such that the hand lever may be readily removed from the car. The lever 7 is provided at its inner end with a. crank S, which when the lever is mounted on the car. extends forwardly from the car over thecoupler. The outer end of the crank 8 terminates in a rectangular bearing. which in Figures 1, 2, 3. l. 5, and 6, consists of an elongated eye 9. formed by rebending the outer end portion of the crank 8. the elongation extending in the direction of the length 7 oi the crank as shown in Figures :2 and 3. The (rank at the outer end of the hand lever 7 is bent downward as at 10. shown in Figures 2 and i. i

The lower end of the pin lifter 11 is formed into an open eye 12 and extended to form a helix. in applying the pin lifter to the hand lever the helical or cork screw end is passed through the 9 of hand lever and the helical eye then slightly closed, Figure 3 showing in dotted lines, the original position or the end of the hook and the full lines the partially closed position, so that it cannot pass back through the eye of the hand lever. yet it can easily be passed through the eye method has the advantage that the parts can be properly assembled at the factory. The upper end of pin litter i1 is bent to form a .hook 13 with an enlarged. portion 1& to pnev'ent from slipping through the eye of theyhand lever. That portion.v of the .pin the eye of the hand more or less rectangular, whereby it slidably engages the eye of hand lever, but is prevented from rotating about an approximately vertical axis. With this orrangement it is impossible to remove the pin litter trom the eye of the coupler lock with out removing the hand lever from the car.

in Figures 9, 10, 11, ll show another embodiment of my invention, wherein the outer end portion of the crank 15 of the hand lever 16 is flattened and shouldered as at 17 and of coupler lock block. This -The pin. litter ill 7 link terminating; at the ends in book 20 and 30 and terminates in an upturned hook l8. comprises a single bar or i said plane as shown in Figure ll. T he eye i .to pass through and work in the elongated 20 is elcmgated as ore clearly shown in Figure 10, to allow for upward nioveme. t

of me car coupler. due to the car paesuig' over roughtrack, etc, also to allow the hand lever to eturn to normal position when the couplern lockeet position. The shoulder 30 prevents the eye 20 from accidentally binding on the crank l5. it will be noted that it is impossible tor the pin. litter to rotate around its approximate vertical axis.

' In F igures 12, 1.3, and lei, still another embodiment oi? my invention is illustrated. In these figures 255 is the hand operated lever and 23- the forwardly extending crank at the inner end thereof. In this embodiment the elongated eye 24 is disposed. transversely with respect to the crank 23. The pin litter has an upper flattened portion 26 adapted eye 2%, and terminates in a book 1?. It will he noted from figure Yul-"that the distance between the flattened portion 26 of the pin lifter and the endo't the hook is greater than the width of the eye Llil so that under all service conditions the hook is prevented from slipping through the eye 24, while also the flattened portion is tree to move tran versely oi the eye to accommodate iteelt to service conditions, at the same time the pin lift-er cannot rotate around its vertical axis. On the lower end of the linl; is a book 28 similar to the hook 21 shown in Figure 10. With this or .;truction it is not necessary to :ilssel' ble the parts at the lnctory, and it inipd-slble or an ignorant 'u'orlonon to improperly apply the pin lifter to the hand lever.

free to s:

When in service the pin li'l'ter normally" in tie position shown in Figure the hook er end of the litter being" ellp htly abov he eye on the crank at the in., of the hand. lever, so that under d "a coupler is free to move forward and the lower of the litter is to inove'for- Ward, upper portion of the litter being; de bodily in the eye until. the upper hook engages the eye o'l said crank. Now these parte are desipmed to permit oi normal movements of the draw bar under bullion" and dra'l t strains. but should the movement of the draw bar be alu'mrmal. as 'l'or ll ,tancc when the draw bar breaks away from its: moorings, the engagement of the upper hook with the eye on the said crank will arrest the bodily movement of the pin litter and thereby cause the lifter to pull the lockinsr pin 29 of the coupler to unlocked i'n'isition, there-by uncoupling the coupler and breaknit-inane the trains which. the brakes and stops the train, thereby preventing further danuige.

llhile the pin litter is free to move bodily to accomnuulate service movements of the ccnuiler, it is, by reason of the construction herein set forth, prevented from being r0- tated around a vertical axis whereby all danger of its becoming accidentally disengaged from the coupler lock or hand lever eliminated.

ll hen the rigging has been bodily removed from the car, which is possible by removing the cotter pins and filler bloeksfrom the ljn'ackets 5 and 6 (the brackets remaining fixed to the car), the connection between the pin litter and the pin is such that these parts can be disengaged free and without the re moval of any part, such as a clevis pin, for example. On the other hand, with the device on the car, it is impossible to ellect the disengagement ol? the coupler pin and pin litter, either accidentally or intentionally. The theory is that it it could be intentionally disconnected, circumstances might arise ing through accident which would bring about l. The combination with a car and a resili cntly mounted coupler having a lock pin provided with an eye; of a release rigging comprising a rod rcvolubly mounted on the car and having: a crank provided with an elongated eye, and a link. provided with a bent portion at loweend extending through the eye of? a lock pin and formed with u flattened shank extending; non-rotatubly but slidably through said elongated e on the crank and provided with means.

at its upper end for pi'ew.-:-ntino, its detachment from said crank.

"2. The combination with :1. car and a resiliontly mounted coupler having a lock pin provided with an eye; oi a release rigging eomprising: an operating rod revolubly mounted on. the car provided with a. crank having an eye, a link havin a bent portion extending through the eye ol the lock pin and a hook at upper end Extending tin-(nigh. the eye of the crank and provided with enlarged head to prevent the disengagement oi the link ii-om the shaft, the eye on the crank and the portion of the link extending theretlmmgh being shaped so that the link is; slidably in the direction of its length through said but is in all posiwardly and sidewise, but prevents rotation provided with an eye, ofia release rigging comprising a rod revolubly mounted on the car having acrank, alink, means providing a connection between said crank and link which allows. the link to move in the direction of its length with respect to the crank and angularly both forwardly and back-'- on the car and provided with a crank, a

link formed with a bent portion at its lower end to extend through the eye of the lock pin, and means providing a flexible undetachable connection between the crank and link, said connection comprising an eye on one of said members and a shank onthe other,extending slidably but non-rotatably through said eye to allow the link to move 'in the direction of its length with respect to the crank but without capacity for rotationjat any position which the link may assui ne when attached to the lock pin.

5. In an uncoupling lever for car couplers, the combination with a horizontally rotatable rod secured to the end of a car, said rod having at its inner end a crank projecting outwardly over the coupler, a closed elongated eye, on said arm, asingle link lifter connecting said crank and the lock pin of a coupler, said link having a fiattened upper portion extending through said eye which normally extends a distance above and below theelongated eye to permit longi tudinal movement without strain upon said crank, and having at its other end a. hook which engages the eye of a lock pin, the joint between the link and elongated eye being flexible to permit of the link sliding .u said eye but preventing it from rotating about a vertical axis; and means on the upper end of the link to prevent the link from becoming disengaged from the crank.

' 6. In an uncoupling lever for car couplers, the combination with an operating rod having an elongated eye on its inner end, of a pin lifter comprising a sin le member consisting of a round bar haviiig a hook on its lower end deflected at an acute angle, the upper portion of said bar being flattened and terminating in a hook, and a knob on said last named hook of greater diameter than the said elongated eye; said flattened portion being adapted to pass through said elongated eye and form therewith a. flexible joint which will not permit the said lifter to rotate about a vertical axis.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GARTH GRIFFITH GILPIN.

Witnesses:

G. E. SrssoN, PETER F. Moi-Mann, 

